POC Cornea Solar Switch Goggle

Specs

Light Gradient Range: 7 to 33% VLT (visible light transmission)

Available Colors: Uranium black

Additional Treatments: Anti-fog and anti-scratch $450

Two years ago, the GP100 included a futuristic pair of winter goggles that could shift from one tint to another at the push of a button. That capability had existed before, but not in such a streamlined and effortless package. They seemed too good to be true, and they might’ve been because they were never released.

But now POC has made the dream a reality. It cut the cord, uncoupling electrochromism — the property allowing certain materials to change color or opacity when introduced to an electric charge — from batteries and buttons. Instead: a solar array, self-sufficient, automatic and embedded in the forehead of the Cornea Solar Switch, the brand’s latest eyewear. It enables the lens to darken when the sun is out and lighten when the clouds roll in.

”By and large the best [technologies] are always the ones you don’t notice, they just work,” says Oscar Huss, product director at POC. “Solar is more convenient, simple and elegant. When you think about it, to use the sun’s energy to give you protection from its light is just neat, especially when it’s automatic and instant.”

The key ingredient is a liquid-crystal layer — not unlike what’s used in the dimmable windows of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner — that adjusts when it receives a solar-facilitated charge. (The functionality also appears in POC’S new Aspire Solar Switch, a pair of shades for cycling.)

Best of all, the switch happens faster than you’d think to reach for the spare lens of a manually interchangeable pair, leaving you free to focus on slashing fresh powder.